| Kikunae Ikeda's Beaker | |
|---|---|
| |
|
Origin |
Kikunae Ikeda |
|
Type |
Beaker |
|
Effects |
Causes overwhelming experience of one taste |
|
Downsides |
None Identified |
|
Activation |
Touch |
|
Collected by |
Warehouse 13 |
|
Section |
|
|
Aisle |
431127-2907 |
|
Shelf |
950671-2054-483 |
|
Date of Collection |
April 29, 2006 |
| [Source] | |
Origin
Kikunae Ikeda was a chemist who discovered the fifth elementary taste receptor, umami. Originally, only sweet, sour, salty and bitter were found to be confirmable tastes. Ikeda discovered umami was the distinctive brothy, meaty flavor of the kelp in his soup. He was finally able to isolate glutamic acid in monosodium glutamate (MSG) as the source of the flavor, believing it was perceptible because it signaled the presence of proteins. Although singularly tasteless, it proves as an enhancement when paired with other food bases.
Effects
Amplifies one of the user’s five basic tastes, forcing them to experience an overwhelming amount of one taste. Although known to lead to extreme puckering and tongue-waggling, the taste is complemented by an undertone of a secondary taste.